Ethel Post-Parrish Carried From
The Cabinet While In Trance
Five persons touch medium whilst materialized
forms are on the floor.

Before a mixed audience of twenty-five people seated
in the materialization room Sunday evening, August 8, 1943,
at Camp Silver Belle, Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Ethel Post
Parrish gave an involuntary test séance never to be forgotten
by those who witnessed it.
It is a great temptation to go overboard and adopt
Hollywood superlatives in describing the phenomena presented;
however this would be most distasteful to Mrs. Post
Parrish. Therefore, expect only simple, factual reporting.

She Kept Her Promise

The preliminary addresses by the Rev. Lena Barnes
Jefts concluded, the large light in the center of the room
was extinguished and we found ourselves peering at those
opposite us; the outline of each individual being plainly
discernible by the illumination of the ruby-colored light
hanging in the corner of the room. After a verse and a
chorus of one hymn, Silver Belle came from out of the
cabinet. In her best terpsichorian manner, she greeted old
friends by their first names, introducing herself to newcomers
as the medium's Guide and cabinet worker.

I am going to work hard tonight and try to get as
many of your loved ones through as possible. Just be patient,
won't you? And with her infectious tinkling laugh,
Silver Belle returned to the cabinet.

Silver Belle kept her promise—she did work hard.
Singularly five spirits came in, greeted their relatives and
disappeared. Among them was my own mother who ad
dressed herself to my wife and me. She referred to my
wife's health and assured her of a complete recovery from a
recent illness and then discussed at length a new venture
that I am undertaking.

TWO Figures Emerge!

Silver Belle then called out from within the cabinet, Mi'lena
which is a pet name she has for Mrs. Jefts. Acknowledging the
call, Mrs. Jefts said, Yes, dear, what is it? Mi'lena, I said
I was going to work hard tonight, Silver Belle continued, And I am going to
do something with my medium I have never done before. What do
you mean, dear? There was a dubious tone in Mrs. Jefts'
voice. My grandfather is here tonight and he is going to
materialize for you and I am going to have him take the medium
out of the cabinet so you all can see her in trance, and then I
want some people to come into the cabinet to prove it is really empty.

It has been my privilege to know Mrs. Jefts for several
years and I have, always regarded her as a cool and poised
person, but upon hearing this she did not attempt to conceal
the agitation in her voice knowing that one false move
might mean harm to her dearest friend. Everyone present
was warned not to touch either Chief Baconrind, the Spirit
Grandfather of Silver Belle or her medium. Silver Belle
preceded her grandfather and held the curtain on the left
open while the two figures emerged!

Julian Ortez—A Witness

Chief Baconrind, standing at least six feet three, supported the
entranced body of Ethel Post-Parrish. Slowly very slowly—the
Chief took the first step outside of the cabinet. The medium's
right arm hung out rigidly from her body and as the two figures
proceeded toward the center of the room, it reminded one of a
puppeteer carrying a life-sized marionette whose strings had been
broken. The locomotion of the medium as she was led to the center
of the room appeared to be that of an automaton. A faint glow
from the ruby lamp cast a strange pallor on Mrs. Parrish's face.
The phenomenon was magnificent.

Silver Belle waited for the figures to stop and then
called some of the spectators into the cabinet—Five responded,
including Mr. and Mrs. Max Klauser, Scarsdale, New York;
Dr. Julian Ortez, Wilmington, Delaware; Emily Fritch, Reading,
Pennsylvania; and Wynn Ellis of New York City. After these people
returned to their chairs, Chief Baconrind guided the inert medium
back to her cabinet. As the curtains closed on these three principals
of the scene, there was an audible sigh of relief from the sitters.

Under TEST Conditions

To break the tension, Silver Belle laughed from within the
cabinet and asked, How am I doing?
In rapid succession, the following phenomena occurred:
Ella Carter and a Dr. Baker, both in spirit, materialized
for Joseph Graham, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. These two held the floor
simultaneously and for several minutes talked to Mr. Graham. Ella Carter moved
from the center of the room to her right and stopped a few feet away from me. I
could see that she was a very beautiful spirit. Pointing
in our direction, she asked, Will you two gentlemen go
and verify that the medium is in the cabinet? Dr. Ortez
and I did. Ella Carter reached the cabinet before us and
pulled aside one of the curtains to let us enter. Dr. Ortez
entered first and then myself. Put your hand on the
medium's head, the Spirit directed me. As I did, I could
feel the moisture of perspiration on her hair caused by the
heat in the tiny cabinet.

A Trifle Wobbly

I withdrew from the cabinet and starting back to my
chair I was not surprised to find my knees a trifle wobbly.
During the entire period of verification, Ella Carter remained
at the curtain while Dr. Baker and Joseph Graham remained
standing in full view of the rest of the sitters.

It was obvious we were all more than satisfied with
the demonstration—that is all but Silver Belle she knew
she had her audience on the edge of their chairs and she
was determined to keep them there as long as her medium
had the strength to remain in trance without injuring herself.

Mr. and Mrs. Max Klauser of Scarsdale, New York,
were greeted by Mr. Klauser's sister, Martha, as she materialized
and stepped through the curtains. A moment after the first greeting—and with Martha standing in the room talking to the Klausers, a verbal
barrage emanated from the cabinet, much to everyone's amusement.
The voice identified itself as Senta, Mrs. Klauser's daughter. This
was indeed an unusual and happy family reunion.

Three Spirits Materialize

The next episode was the youthful son of one of the
sitters whistling a tune in the cabinet for his mother while
Mr. and Mrs. Raphael Rice stood in the center of the room
talking to the materialized Spirit of Mr. Rice's mother.

In conclusion, Silver Belle brought out three Spirit
forms: the mother, father, and grandfather of Mrs. Emily
Fritch of Reading, Pennsylvania. These three materialized
Spirits walked from the cabinet to the front of the room
passing Mrs. Fritch who remained by her chair near the
other end of the room. Then they returned to her and
the four conversed together for a few minutes. The three
spirits returned to the cabinet; the two men preceding
Mrs. Fritch's mother who turned just before entering the
cabinet to say a final Goodbye.

Silver Belle, a moment later called out wearily,
I'm tired—I just
can't get another one out. It may be interesting to many to know
that for nearly thirty minutes after the séance, Mrs. Post-Parrish
felt that she was still partly in trance. I took her pulse almost
immediately following the séance and while I did not tell her at
the time, it was definitely slow and labored. This was the only physical
reaction that registered.

None of us in that group who witnessed this astounding phenomena
dare hope for an early repetition by Ethel Post-Parrish and her co-worker,
Silver Belle. Such séances are rare, indeed.